Nanocomposites and Nanomaterials
Resonant tunneling in thin SiOx layers 
Pylypova O.1, Antonin S.2, Evtukh A.A.2
1 Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of High Technologies, 2 Glushkova avenue, Kiev, Ukraine
2 V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semicondactor Physics NAS of Ukraine, 41 Nauki ave., Kyiv, 03028, Ukraine
E-mail: antoninsv@gmail.com

Silicon enriched SiOx films were deposited on n-type Si substrate (ρ = 0.01 Ω×cm) by Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (LP CVD) method at the temperature of 660 °C.
To study the I – V characteristics of the structure used an automated measuring system Keithley 2410H. I-V characteristics at 100K and 200K of SiOx(Si) film is characterized by the appearance of peaks, which indicates the implementation of the mechanism of resonant tunneling of carriers (Fig. 1).
From the slope of the curves in the Fowler-Nordheim coordinates the height of the energy barrier qφb = 0.31eV was calculated. Temperature decreasing leads to an increasing in the height of the resonant peak (Fig. 1). In this film, the quantum dots are silicon nanoclusters embedded into the SiOx film, in which as a result of   dimensional quantization forms the system of resonant energy levels.
Tunneling occurs through the SiOx layer, which contains silicon nanoclusters, so this layer must be very thin <3 nm.  The electron injection to the system is provided by a strongly doped n+ silicon substrate, such that its Fermi level lies in the conduction band. As a result, we have the structure consisting of one quantum dot surrounded by two very thin barriers.

Fig. 1. I-V characteristic of the structure.